Pokémon Announced the Viral Pikachu Is Coming Back for 30th Anniversary

Takara Tomy Viral Pikachu Is Coming Back — Credit: Takara Tomy

Pokémon has recently announced that the viral Pikachu is coming back, and fans and collectors couldn’t be happier.

The very first design for Pokémon’s mascot, Pikachu, was a delightful chubby creature, also known as fat Pikachu and Chunkachu. The design was Mitsuhiro Arita’s original drawing for the 1996 Japanese Pokémon card.

This “Fat Pikachu” plush is returning for the first time in over 25 years 👀

As Pokémon celebrates 30 years, fans are getting a major dose of nostalgia with the return of the iconic fat Pikachu plush.

First released in 1997 by Takara Tomy and beloved for its rounder look, this… pic.twitter.com/SLUfZ9S1he
— Fanatics Collect (@FanaticsCollect) January 17, 2026

Over the years, Pikachu has slimmed down; however, die-hard fans have never forgotten the original Pikachu look. In fact, collectors have spent thousands of dollars to collect the original vintage Takara Tomy Pikachu plush, which features the chunky edition.

Takara Tomy has revealed plans to recreate the life-size Pikachu plush that was first released back in 1997 in celebration of the Pokémon brand’s 30th anniversary.

And the anniversary is just around the corner, as the very first Pokémon game was released on February 27, 1996, with Japan’s Pocket Monsters Red and Green.

But it’s not only the 30th anniversary of the games, but it’s also the very anniversary of the very first Japanese Pokémon TCG cards, which were released on October 20, 1996, with the 1st Start and Expansion Pack. This year will surely be a busy one for Pokémon, and fans are only hoping that they celebrate the TCG with a limited edition release.

The price is set at 7,480 yen, which is roughly $47, and the plush stands a little under 16 inches tall. The cuddly plush will be huge for collectors everywhere, waiting to get their hands on this limited edition anniversary edition.

At the time of writing, the plush is already sold out on Takara Tomy’s official site; however, collectors and fans can surely start finding them on secondary marketplaces for a higher value.

Keep checking back here for all things you need to know about your favorite collectibles, including everything there is to know about Pokémon.